Russians have always known Sochi as a holiday resort city on the Black Sea, about as far to the south-west as you can get in this enormous country. It also has the distinction of being one of the world’s longest cities at 145 kilometers in length. For an idea of scale, that would be like Blackpool stretching from the southern Lake District to Rhyl, or Brighton stretching from Portsmouth to Hastings. The length has been the result of growth and the amalgamation of neighbouring seaside towns.

This one-dimension spread isn’t merely because of a love of the sea air, however. There are only a few miles between the shores and the foothills of Western Caucasus, and that doesn’t leave much room to build on – except by spreading outwards. The mountains are also, of course, key to Sochi’s successful bid – because in the winter months they almost always get a healthy coating of beautiful, deep snow. (more…)